“3 Women, 365 Days” Exhibit Demonstrates Art, Enlightenment

“You wouldn’t believe how hard it is,” says local artist Laura McHugh of her commitment and challenge to grab her Canon digital camera and take a photo every day for a year. 

McHugh collaborated with Coastside photographers Diane K. Costello and fine art photographer Nancy Strachan West to create "3 Women, 365 Days," an exhibit now on display at Bamboo Hair + Body in Half Moon Bay. 

West is credited for pushing the idea of working to produce a photo a day as a chronicle of moments from a year of living. She and McHugh were familiar with the challenge as a project idea on the photography website Photojojo.  Costello had first known West and was brought into the picture after meeting McHugh.  Photographer Ann Schroeder of Houston, Texas, was also asked to take on the project throughout 2010. Originally called  “,” the group created a blog to share their thoughts and progress, posting their project book in January 2011. 

When it came time to think of showing the project locally, the title dropped to “3 Women, 365 Days.” Though they never photographed their shots together for the exhibit, the artists bonded during the project.

“It showed me that you can still be yourself and work with other people.  It was a great personal challenge and a great group challenge,” says Costello, who chose her boxer Gromit as her muse and photographed him each day. Sometimes it was difficult, she admits. 

“After four months, I was thinking, what did I get myself into?” laughs Costello.

The yearlong discipline required of the artists is apparent in “3 Women, 365 Days.” While Costello and West are photographers, McHugh began as a mixed media artist.

“It was intimidating; they were photographers,” says McHugh of picking up a camera for the long project. “It really helped me calibrate my skill.  I self-taught myself on how to get a much better-looking photo.” 

“Each photographer is very different from the other, but all work side-by-side in the community,” says Bamboo owner Yasmin Caminiti, who agreed to host the show at her roomy salon.  The work is strewn throughout, even in the bathrooms. 

“This show offers punctuation points and best experiences,” says Caminiti, who said her favorite captured moment might be a shot of boxer Gromit contemplating a brightly-colored caterpillar.  “To have art here shifts the energy and Feng Shui,” says Caminiti.  “I feel gifted that these people bring this in.”

“I love them all,” says contributor West of having to choose her photos for the exhibit.  “One that has extra meaning for me is a blooming field in Montana at photography school last summer,” she says of the purple, green and blue colors featured in the photo. 

West, a native Californian, moved to Miramar in Half Moon Bay approximately 12 years ago and began her photography career as a fine art photographer after earning a Masters in Public Administration and working in the nonprofit sector. She became a photographer to honor her passion.

“We were a really divergent group of photographers,” says West.  “But we worked together well.  It was a super fun project.”

McHugh will continue to work with Bamboo, conducting workshops for making Vision Art Cards, a way to use art to create a vision for something you want in your life.  ‘These are Post It notes for your soul,” says McHugh, who says the workshops will encourage class participants to create a deck of cards using art, pictures, and words.

McHugh's first workshop was held yesterday (June 12) in collaboration with Laurie Phillips, a 10-year expert and coach from Minnesota. McHugh trained with Phillips in order to present and lead classes here.

“It is a portable collage,” says McHugh of the cards.

As for the “3 Women, 365 Days” challenge, McHugh loved it so much, she decided to revisit it.  She and a friend, also named Laura, are involved in LauraSquared, so she can continue to take daily snapshots.  “My friend is using her iPhone camera for her challenge,” says McHugh. 

“I will do this work for a long time;" McHugh mused. "It helps me in so many ways.”

The “3 Women, 365 Days” exhibit at Bamboo Hair + Body runs through the end of July.

Click here to see Laura McHugh's current photo blog for LauraSquared.  To view the work of McHugh, Nancy Strachan West and Dianne Costello, click on the links to their name in the story above. For information on Vision Cards, go to www.visioncards.net.